1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to saddle-riding type vehicles and, in particular, to a saddle-riding type vehicle that is equipped with a fuel pump for supply of fuel to an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
A saddle-riding type vehicle such as a two-wheeled motor vehicle equipped with a fuel pump is conventionally known. In Japanese Laid Open Patent Application Publication 2002-106440, for example, a two-wheeled motor vehicle is equipped with a fuel tank having a saddle shape. A strainer (filtering apparatus) is fixed on a base plate on the upper surface of the fuel tank. The strainer is connected to a hose and the hose is connected to a fuel pump. The fuel pump, which supplies fuel to an electronically controlled fuel injection apparatus (injector), is situated inside a rear portion of the fuel tank, and is not fixed.
Because the fuel pump is not fixed, it may collide with the inner surface of the fuel tank during travel and the like and be damaged. Furthermore, the fuel pump may move upward in the fuel tank. In this case, when there is little fuel left in the tank it is not easily sucked into the pump, making it difficult to effectively use the fuel.
With respect to two-wheeled motor vehicles configured for off-road use such as Motocross and Enduro, carburetors are usually employed rather than a fuel injection apparatus. Nevertheless, use of an electronically controlled fuel injection apparatus has been studied in two-wheeled motor vehicles for off-road use. In such off-road vehicles, easy handling and foot landing properties are critical factors. When a fuel pump is conventionally situated inside the rear portion of a fuel tank, however, the size of the fuel tank becomes larger in the proximity of the seat. Because a rider of an off-road saddle-type riding vehicle must move his body significantly upward and downward, and forward and backward, easy handling and foot landing properties are compromised by the larger tank in the proximity of the seat.